Have you ever thought about the great, simple joys of life? For most people, those joys include smiling broadly, laughing out loud, eating the foods you love, and enjoying good health.

Missing teeth can make it hard to do any of those things.

If you’re missing one or more teeth, you might like to know that you’ve got a lot of company. By some estimates, more than 120 million people in the United States are missing at least one tooth. And that includes people in Hawaii. At A Downtown Dental Group in Honolulu, we see many people who want help to replace their missing teeth.

Having a gap in your smile is embarrassing and can impact your willingness to smile or laugh out loud. For many people, it’s a professional liability. Dental implants are widely acknowledged to be the strongest, longest-lasting, and most natural-appearing way to replace one or more missing teeth. For most people, implants are the preferred method to restore their smiles after losing a tooth.

But beyond the social and employment aspects, missing one or more teeth affects your ability to bite and/or chew. The number of ways in which that happens might surprise you.

Missing Teeth Are Hard On Your Body

This is the obvious reason why that’s true is that chewing your food thoroughly requires opposing teeth above and below. When you can’t chew comfortably or effectively on one side, you’ll tend to chew more on the other side. This can lead to excessive wear on those teeth and to muscle imbalances that can cause headaches and jaw pain.

Beyond that, the other teeth close to the missing tooth begin to shift position. The contact surfaces between teeth help keep them aligned where nature intended. Once teeth shift, even slightly, the chewing surfaces above and below don’t meet the way they’re supposed to. That also leads to excessive wear on the tooth enamel, and over time that can lead to dental problems with even more teeth.

And if you have a tooth that’s uncomfortable to chew on, you won’t. Not chewing your food thoroughly means you’re unlikely to get the full nutritional benefit of what you eat. Poor nutrition can lead to a host of medical problems that nobody needs.

Poor nutritional choices can also contribute to problems with your oral hygiene. And extensive research shows that problems in the mouth contribute to some serious health problems – various forms of cancer, diabetes, lung problems, and many more.

Replace Your Missing Teeth With Dental Implants From A Downtown Dental Group

A Downtown Dental Group in Honolulu is your preferred choice for dental implants.

Implants aren’t a “one size fits all” proposition. Dental implants are solid crowns (restorations that exactly resemble your own teeth) that are firmly attached to metal implant itself, anchored in the bone of your jaw.

The density and thickness of the bone in your jaws are the primary things that determine what kinds of implants will work best for you. Our dentist in downtown Honolulu can ensure that you received the correct procedure to prepare you for implants. Depending on your need, that procedure might be bone grafts, sinus lifts, or ridge augmentation.

Beyond the technical aspects, the appearance of your implants are a primary concern. Dr. Miyasaki has 35 years’ experience in matching the shade of the porcelain used for your implant restoration to your existing teeth. You’ll laugh freely and smile with confidence again.

Beautify Your Smile and Safeguard Your Health

Don’t live with one or more missing teeth any longer. Schedule a consultation with A Downtown Dental Group in Honolulu. You can contact us online or call 808-797-3680. We’ll be happy to work with your schedule to find the best time and day for you.